Driving mechanism for traction-engines.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

3 BHEIZTS-BHEET 1.

1,012,552. Q 8&1

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H. A. HOWARD. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

, APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1911- 1,012,552.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

3 BHEETS SHBET 2.

H. A. HOWARD.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 15, 1011v 1,012,552. Patented Dec.19,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. HOWARD, OF LLOYIDMINSTER, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, HENRY A. HOWARD, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Lloydminster in the Province of Saskatchewan,Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DrivingMechanism for Traction-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andusethe same.

My invention has for its particular object the provision of an improveddrivin mechanism for traction engines and simi ar machines, and to thisend the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations ofdevices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

.In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary lan View showingthe improved driving mechanism applied to a frame and rear axle of atraction engine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown inFig.1, some of the parts being sec 'tioned; Fig. 3 is a detail insection taken approximately on the line m m of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a viewin side elevation wlthsome parts broken away showing the constructionsof the differential or compensating gear used in the improved drivingmechanism; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the irregular line 00 m of Fig.4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged View corresponding to Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is afragmentary view in side elevation show ing ona larger scale than inFig. 2 the ratchet mechanism of the improved drive; Fig. 8 is a detailin section on the line m w of Fig. 7, some parts being removed; and Fig.9 is a fra mentary view in sectlon on the line mix- 0? Fig. 8.

The numeral 1 indicates a portion of theframework, the numeral 2 thedivided rear axle, the numeral 3 the rear or traction wheels, and thenumeral 4 the engine driven shaft of the traction engine, the said shaftbeing mounted in suitable bearings 1n the frame 1, and one of the saidbearings being indicated at 5 in Figs. 1 and 2.

The compensating gear, hereemployed, in its act-ion 1s like that of oneof the well known forms of compensating gears, and it comprises a pairof bevel gears 6, one keyed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 621,236.

to each of the sections ofthe rear axle 2 near the inner ends thereof.The driving member of the compensating gear is, however of novel formand it comprises a heavy rim 7 spokes 8, and a hub 9. The hub 9 isloosely journaled on the abutting ends of the axle sections 2 and thespokes 8 extend outward between the two beveled gears 6. Certain of thespokes 8 carry bevel pinions 10 suitably journaled thereto and meshingwith the teeth of both of the bevel gears G. The rim 7 of the drivingmember or wheel is provided at both edges with external ratchet teeth 11and with internal ratchet teeth '12. The internal and external ratchetteeth are reversely beveled so that they cooperate with driving dogs torotate the said wheel or driving member in reverse directions.

Immediately pivoted on the hub of each gear 6 is an oscillatory drivinglever 13. Each lever 13 carries a double ended reversible driving pawlor dog 14 which is pivoted thereto at 15. Vhen the outer ends of thedriving dogs 14 are set for cooperation with the outer ratchet teeth ofthe wheel member 7, the said wheel, and hence, the rear axle 2 andtraction wheels 3 will be rotated in a direction to drive the machineforward; but when the inner ends of the said driving dogs are set forcooperation with the inner ratchet teeth 12, the said traction wheelswill be reversely driven, or in other words, will cause the machine ortraction engine to move backward. For cooperation with each dog 14 thereis a pronged shipper lever 16 pivoted to a notched segmental latch plate17 carried by a cooperating lever 13. These levers 16 are provided withlatches 18 that are engageable with the notches of the cooperating latchsegments 17 to hold the said levers in either of two extreme positions.The prongs of the levers 16 are provided with light springs 19 thatcotiperate with the dogs 14 to yieldingly hold the same, in the oneinstance, for engagement with the outer, and in the other instance forengagement with the inner ratchet teeth of the wheel rim 7.

The numeral 20 indicates a pair of segmental heads provided each with apan of diverging arms 21 the ends of whlch are pivoted to the ends ofthe cooperating levers 13 so that the said heads 20 are free for lateralmovements. In their segmental faces,

the heads 20 are provided with long openings 22 and on each side of saidopenmgs with toothed racks 23and 24:. The extremities of the slots 22beyond the rack teeth 23 and 24 are approximately semicircular.

the extreme ends of the slots, they are fur-' ther providedwith teeth orlugs .27 Also,

each rack head is provided with alongitudinally and vertically extendedlnwardly projecting segmental guide flange 28. The guide "flange 28 ofeach head cotiperates with the"- end portion 29 of a'guide arm orbracket 30,

both of which guide arms are rigid'ly secured to the framework 1.

The driving shaft 4 extends through the' slots 22 of both of the rackheads 211 and it is provided with two pinions .31.; One ofthese pinions31 ooiiperates with the teeth of one of the rack heads and the otherco'c'vperates'with the teeth of the other rack head. Secured to thedrivingshaft 4; adjacent to each pinion 31 is ase'gme'ntal shiftingflange? 32 provided with an intermediatenotch 33.

When the driving shaft 4 is rotated'the pin-.. ions 31; willb'e engagedalternately with theco6perating rack. teeth 23 and12tof the, re-"spective heads 20, and thus the said heads 20 and the levers andarmsconnected- .'theret o' will/be oscillated but the arrangement issuch that the two heads 20 will be 'simultaneously oscillated in reversed rections so that thecOtSpera-tingdriVing dogs will be alternatelythrown into actionon the toothed wheel rim 7 and continuous drivingforce thereby applied to the said drivlng wheel and through the latterand compensating gear the rear'a'xle and traction wheels,

'The manner in whichthe racks 23 and 24,

are alternately engaged withthe cotSp'erating'pinions 31is as follows:When one of the rack heads 20 reaches its extreme uppermost or lowermostposition, the cooperatingpinion the said rack head. The said rack headwill a be given a rigid lateral movement necessary to shift the onerackliead outof engagement I I into engagement with the sald plnion. The

lugs 25 and 26' cooperate with the extremities of the shifting head 32after the manner of a segmental gear and hold the said seg- 7'mentalheads against vertical movement while the racks arebeing-shifted, hen the y rack head is movedupward by engagement of oneof the lugswith the cotiperating, pinion, the guide flange 28 of thesaid head'will pass on one sid'cof the end 29 of thecoiiperQ ating guidebracket 30 vand when the said rack head is moved. downward by engage-vment of the otherrack with the said pinion,

the said'fiange28 will be soshifted by latvvith the said pinion and theother-rack eral movement of said head that it'will pass downward onthe-otherside of the said end 29. In this way, the-said elements 28 and29 serve to maintain engagement of the proper rack with the pinion.while the rack head is being moved from one extreme position toanother, g

Through the driving mechanism .described, a relatively slow butrelatively very great driving force is. transmitted from the drivingshaft to the traction wheels and the compensating gear takes care of thediiierential movements of the traction wheels turning curves;

' TWliat I claim is z.

' 1. In a driving mechanism',the combination with a driving 'shaft 'andadriven shaft, ofa wheel connected tosaid driven shaft, a -vibratorylever, pawl and ratchet devices connecting said lever and said wheel, arack head h aving an arm pivoted t'o-sa-idlever and provided in itsouter facewith laterally "spacedracks a pinion on said driving shaft,

and means for shifting said rack'head to, alternately engage theracksthereof with said'pinion l 2. In a driving mechanism, thecombinationwith adriving shaftvand a driven shaft, of a wheel connected to saiddriven shaft, an oscillatory lever, pawl and r'at'chetfdevicesconnectingsaid wheel and said lever, 21 segmental rack'h eadprovided'with an arm ')ivo.ted't-o said lever forlateral movements andhaving on its' segmental-face laterally latter at the extremities of itsmovement to thereby alternatelyengag'e the said racks withsaid pinion. x

3. In' a driving. mechanism, the combination with a driving-shaft and adriven shaft,

'ofa wheel connected to said driven shaft,

oscillatory 1evers, pawl and ratchet devices cdn'necting said w heel andsaid levers, segmental rack heads provided with armspiva' otallyconnected to respective levers for lateral movements. the said rackheadsha'Yin-g laterally spaced racks, pinio-ns carried by saiddriving-shaft for-co'ciperation with the rack teeth of each rackhead,--andcotiperatmg means carried by said shaft and by said rack headsfor alternately shifting the racks of said heads into and out'of meshwith thecoeperatln'g pinions 1n reverse order.

4. In a'driving mechanis the combination' with a divided shaft, of acompensating gear connected to the section of said shaft and including adriving wheel havinga rim with internal and external ratchetteeth, an

oscillatory lever adjacent to said driving wheel, means foroscillatingsaid lever,'a 'reversible driving dog carried by said lever"for 'cotiperation, at will, .with either the -in-.

,ternal. or external ratchet teeth of said driving wheel, and means forsetting said dog, at will, in either of its two operative positions.

5. In a driving mechanism, the combination with a driving shaft and adriven shaft, of a driving Wheel connected to said driven shaft andhaving reversely internal and external acting distinct sets of ratchetteeth, a lever provided with a reversible driving dog for action oneither set of the ratchet teeth of said driving wheel, ar'ms pivotallyattached to said lever, and means carried by said driving shaft andoperative on said arms to oscillate the same both vertically andhorizontally, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a drivingshaft and a driven shaft, of a drivingwheel on said driving shaft, a lever, pawl and ratchet devicesconnecting said wheel and said lever,

a segmental rack head having an arm pivotally connected to said leverfor limited lateral movements, and provided in its seg mental face withlaterally spaced racks and with shifting lugs at the extremities of saidracks, a pinion carried by said driving shaft, for cooperation with saidracks, and a notched segmental head carried by said driving shaft andcooperating with the shifting lugs of said llGlCLiO move the said headlaterally at the limits'of its movement and therebyalternately engage.the said racks with said pinion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. HOlVARD. \Vitnesses BERNICE G. \VHEELER, HARRY D. KILGORE.

